The Snake and The Mockingjay
by Violet Eagle
Summary: She is the princess of Panem. All their hopes rest on her. He is a drunk tasked with protecting his country's greatest hope. So what happens when they both disappear? Rated T for possible language.
1. Twins Born

**Hello all, Welcome all to my new fic, The Snake and The Mockingjay. Katniss is a princess and Panem is her kingdom. Hope you all enjoy!**

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><p>Twins Born<p>

One dies, the other flees

The Mockingjay shall fight the Snake

Who shall rise?

The Mockingjay or the Snake

"No one can know." She told her husband. He looked at her, his gray eyes meeting her blue ones. She had just birthed twins. He was holding the eldest, Katniss, while she was holding the other, Primrose.

"Why not? All of Panem will rejoice when they here that they have two princesses." He answered his queen.

"Our people may rejoice, but what about our enemies. They will try to kill one and marry the other. You know how these politics work. Our enemies will force a marriage contract to one of them and then kill the other, forcing us to make the other the crown heir." The king looked at his queen and daughters. He couldn't imagine anyone fighting over them like she was suggesting, especially when they had just been born.

"Then what do we do? We can't kill one and keep the other. That would make us no better than our enemies."

"We don't have to kill the other. We raise them both, but we must tell them that they are not sisters. With Katniss being the eldest, even if by a few minutes, she is legally the heir to your throne. We will just have to tell them that Prim's parents died in an accident and we took her in. Everyone will believe that."

"I don't like this."

"I know you don't, but it is the only option we have if we want to keep both of them safe." The king nodded and held his daughter close, wishing that he didn't have to lie to her about the truth.

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><p>He took a long swing from his flask before quickly stashing it. He wasn't supposed to be drinking on the job, but it was the only thing that kept him sane among all the high and mighty knights of society. He hadn't been born into the Royal Guard like all the rest had. It was a punishment. He had been arrested for being excessively drunk in public. According to the local authorities, he had been in the nude and shouting obscenities into the sky before falling into the mud. He only remembered shouting into the sky. The judge gave him a choice: jail or work in the Royal Guard. He knew that he would not get any liquor in jail. They were locked down tight and he was sure anything brought to him would be examined with a fine tooth comb. So he had chosen to work in the Royal Guard. At least he was able to steal a few drops of liquor here and there when the captain wasn't watching. He straightened and looked out over the city, watching for anyone coming to the castle to harm the royal family.<p>

"Abernathy!" He jumped as the shout was right down the stairs from him.

_"Great, I've been caught. After being careful for the past six months!" _He yelled at himself as he turned toward the captain. "Yes, Sir?"

"Come with me, now." He followed the captain back into the castle.

_"I'm in for it now. Years in the jail with not a drop of liquor for me." _He sighed inwardly and silently followed the captain down the hall. He was confused when he was taken into the wing of the castle that housed the royal family. He saw the guards that were assigned to the king and queen standing outside the door that he was stopped at. The captain turned to him and handed him a mint.

"Eat it quickly. His Majesty asked for you specifically. Try not to make a fool of yourself and the Guard." The captain said as he popped the mint into his mouth. The captain nodded and opened the door and they walked in. "Majesties, here is the man you requested, Haymitch Abernathy." Haymitch bit the mint and swallowed as he bowed at the waist.

_"What the hell am I doing in front of the royal family?"_ He straightened in sync with the captain and waited. The king examined him. He seemed unconvinced by what he saw.

"You really think that he is the best man for the job?" He asked the queen. Haymitch stole a glance at the blonde, blue-eyed woman. "How did you even find out about him?"

"Well, I overheard the Guard talking about one of the newest members. That he had been arrested for his drunkenness and made to serve in the Guard or go to the jails."

"What makes you think that he is the right one?"

"Because, when she is old enough and wants to go into the city, he knows how to blend in. She can wander the city in complete safety without anyone ever being the wiser." The king turned to him.

"Listen to me well, you are about to be entrusted with the safety of the future of this kingdom. Do you understand me? If you neglect your duty for even a second, I will make sure that you never take a drink of anything ever again. Do you understand me?" Haymitch nodded, unable to make his mouth work. Satisfied, the king beckoned Haymitch over to the cradle. He took a bundle from it and moved the blankets to reveal a sleeping baby girl. "This is Katniss. She is our daughter and heir. To her will go Panem when I pass. You are to go wherever she does. You do not leave her side for even a moment unless she is with us and our guards. Am I understood?"

"Clearly, Majesty." Haymitch answered and watched as the king placed his daughter back into the cradle.

"You may go and stand outside with the others. Captain, you are dismissed back to your post." Both men nodded and left. Once back in the hall, Haymitch took a post across the hall from the door.

_"Finally, something more interesting than standing on the wall. They are hiding something about the princess. He made sure to show me her blanket when he took her from the cradle." _

Inside the room, the queen and king talked in whispers. "Are you sure we shouldn't give Prim her own guard? She is our child, even if she is 'fostered'." The queen asked.

"You may be right. But no one can know. And we can't stretch Haymitch too thin. So who do we choose?"

"How about one of our guards?" She said, gesturing to the door. "Everyone knows that your guard is just a formality. You know how to fight. You were forced to fight in that tournament the Capitol put on a few years ago." He looked at her. He had hoped to never relive that tournament. It was how they had won their freedom a hundred years ago and how they had kept themselves safe from the Capitol. If any of their line ever lost, Panem would return to the Capitol's control and the royal family would be killed. But he had embarrassed the President when he had fought ten years ago. The President had wagered that he would win Panem back and placed the weight of that on his son's shoulders, the best fighter in the Capitol. But he had beaten him and kept Panem free from his control. It was no secret that the snake wanted Panem back. Slowly, he nodded his consent and called for his personal guard.

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><p>She rocked Katniss as they sat on the balcony. Her husband was in his study talking with the king from one of the Districts to the east of Panem. They had always been hard pressed to stay out of the Capitol's control. She wondered if word of Katniss had already gotten to them. If their oldest son were to marry Katniss when they came of age, then they would be safe from the Capitol as long as Katniss kept winning the tournament. She looked at the little girl in her arms. So much rested on one child and she was only an infant.<p>

In a few months, she would be a year old and then news of her would be told to the kingdom. It was custom for them to keep births secret until one year had passed, to ensure the child didn't die as an infant. It was so hopes didn't get higher than expectation. She was aware of Haymitch watching her. He had done his job well so far. The only liquor she smelled on him was what was on his clothes from when he was off duty. That made her glad to know that her daughter would have someone to protect her from those who wish to harm her. But something was nagging at her.

"Haymitch," she called. He stepped forward.

"Yes, Majesty?"

"Say that we were invaded by the Capitol, being my daughter's protector, where would you take her?"

"I'm not following, Majesty."

"If we are attacked, it is still your duty to protect Katniss, even if that means you must flee with her. If that were to ever happen, where would you take her? Where would you go to keep her safe?"

"I see. Well, it would have to be someplace they wouldn't ever look. So not one of our allies. I'd take her and hide among our enemies. The closer to danger, the farther from harm." The queen nodded and he stepped back, her nervousness calmed for the moment.

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><p>"Mr. President," the old man nodded his ascent for the man to give his report. He had been stationed in Panem for the past eleven years with nothing to report. It was good to finally have word. "They have an heir." He turned to face the spy, raising an eyebrow. "A baby girl. She was born last year. More, she is betrothed the prince of the Districts."<p>

"Well, that is news. The Districts are aligning themselves with the strongest kingdom. They must not have confidence in their heirs anymore. But that puts so much on the little princess, doesn't it? She has the fates of both Panem and the Districts on her shoulders and she is only a year old. It would be a real shame if she didn't make it to adulthood." He looked at the man and nodded. The man smiled and left. It was time. The President looked at the banner that hung on either side of the door. _"The Snake will finally destroy that blasted Mockingjay."_

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><p>Haymitch jumped out of bed, grabbing the knife from beneath his pillow. He looked around. None of his fellow guardsmen were awake and the alarm bells weren't sounding. But it didn't matter. He was awake now because something didn't feel right. The queen's question a few months ago returned to him. <em>"She had been worried about an attack. One that would place the royal family in the bull's-eye of the target." <em>He cursed silently as he pulled on his pants and boots. He tugged his shirt on as he rushed to the armory to retrieve his weapons. He grabbed only his sword and then hurried to the royal bedchamber. He knew the princess had her own bedroom in the king's suit and the door was always opened. It was his job to make sue the princess was safe. _"Something is happening and no one knows that it's coming. How can they not know?" _He stopped halfway up the stairs. One person would know. He always knew when something was wrong and he would be awake, just like him.

Haymitch turned around and ran back to the barracks and right to the captain's rooms. He was right, the captain was awake, but it was clear that he wasn't sure what was troubling his sleep. Haymitch reported his conversation with the queen. The captain nodded and Haymitch hurried back the way he had come and into the royal suite. He went straight to Katniss's bedroom, relieving the night guard. Haymitch placed himself at the head of her cradle and waited.

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><p><strong>Well, what do you all think? Should I keep going with it? Thanks for reading. Can't wait to read your thoughts on this newest of fics.<strong>


	2. Into the Capitol

**Thanks Elves are Awesome and horseyyay for your reviews. You guys have been such great readers for all my fics. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>Haymitch didn't look at his fellow guard. He guessed that he had been placed there to help protect the two sleeping children. Haymitch's main concern was Katniss. The other man was to protect the other little girl whom the royal family had taken in, according to the rumors being told. He didn't believe them. It was something he had learned from being on the streets. He looked out the window. Nothing had been heard. He was beginning to think that we was being foolish and that he was being paranoid. After all, he had been entrusted with protecting Panem's future. <em>"Maybe I am just being paranoid. But the captain… maybe he just hadn't gone to bed yet. No, something is wrong. But why hasn't the captain called the rest of the Guard from their bunks? Does he not believe me?" <em>Haymitch only muttered under his breath and made sure that he had his knives in his boots along with the knife on his belt. He hadn't even thought to put on his armor. _"But if I have to run with Katniss, then it is better that I don't have it."_ He tucked in his shirt and smoothed out his hair which still looked like he had just been sleeping.

The alarm bells rang loudly out the window. He heard commotion from the other bedroom and moved closer to the crib that held Katniss. She was sleeping soundly, not disturbed by the annoying sounds just outside the door. The other guard looked at him, but said nothing. Haymitch moved to look out the window and saw fires throughout the city. He pressed his lips together in a tight line. He hated the fact that he hadn't just been paranoid. He loosened his sword in his sheath and moved back to Katniss's side. The tone of the bells changed that the other guard's face paled.

"They've breached the castle walls." He whispered.

"They what?" Haymitch hissed. He couldn't hear the man over the alarms.

"I said they've breached the walls. It's only a matter of time before they breach the castle its," the guard stopped talking as the tone of the alarms changed again.

"And they've breach the castle."

"Yes." The guard confirmed. Haymitch cursed and reached into the crib for Katniss.

He wrapped the blanket tightly around her as he picked her up out of the crib. Once she was safely in his arms, he threw the crib into the fire place and watched it burn. He looked at his companion. He was just staring at him. "Don't just stand there. Grab the girl and let's go. We have to keep them safe."

"My first duty is to protect the king."

"He would want you to protect his daughter." Haymitch nodded toward the sleeping baby. She was a foster child whose parents had died in a horrible accident a year ago."

"I will not desert them. It is my duty to protect the royal family. As is yours."

"I am protecting the royal family. When Katniss was put in my charge, I was given the task of guarding the future of this kingdom. More, a father entrusted me with his eldest daughter. His youngest should also be a priority over him. You know he would want,"

"Look, Abernathy," the guard interrupted, "if you are going to run and take the princess with you, then go. But you will be branded a deserter and a kidnapper. I will not defend you." Haymitch shook his head.

"For your sake, and Prim's, I hope the castle lasts the night. I'll bring Katniss back when it is safe." With that, Haymitch opened the door and went into the passage behind the fireplace. The other guard watched as it closed, knowing that Haymitch would never be forgiven for deserting his post.

_"But I didn't expect anything more. He came from the streets. He wasn't born with the Guard in his blood."_ He listened as the fighting grew closer. After a few minutes, the king and queen barricaded themselves in the room with him and Prim. The queen scanned the room.

"Where are Haymitch and Katniss?" She demanded of the man.

"The drunk took the princess and fled. He would not stay and defend the castle and you." Relief showed on the queen's face.

"Thank the gods. He did what he told me he would do. The crib?"

"Destroyed." The guard was surprised by the queen's reaction. He thought that she would be furious with the man for taking her daughter.

"And why didn't you take Prim and go with him?" The king demanded.

"My first duty is to you." He answered, sure of himself.

"Idiot!" The king roared. "I removed you from my personal guard and made your Prim's guard. She is not a foster child. She is _my _child! You should have done as Abernathy has done and run away! Prim and Katniss are the futures of this kingdom!" The fighting was in the suite now. The guard looked at the baby the queen had taken from the crib. She moved to the fireplace and made to press the hidden button when the door burst in. She turned sharply and barely avoided a bullet that was aimed for Prim. Of course, Snow and his Peacekeepers didn't know that they had had twins and believed that the baby she held was Katniss.

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><p>He opened the trap door and stepped into the abandoned warehouse. He knew this place. He had slept here more often than not when he lived on the streets. He had had no idea that there had been a door to the castle in here. He looked around and saw the crates he knew well. It hadn't been cleaned which meant that his bed was still where he had left it. The fires outside gave him enough light to see and he found the blankets he had left. He could smell the liquor on them from his drunken days and he scowled. He couldn't put the princess in those. Not to mention that he wanted to watch the trap door and didn't dare leave her out of his sight.<p>

He rummaged through the crates and found that the royals had been prepared for this scenario. They had blankets and other bedding in the crates near the door. He emptied a crate and lined it with the blankets he had found and placed Katniss inside them. She still slept, the sounds of fighting not bothering her in the slightest. _"Gods, what am I going to tell her when she asks about her parents?" _He thought glumly. He watched the door, hoping that either the king or queen would have followed him with Prim. He stayed awake all night, just watching and waiting. Near sunrise, Katniss woke and began to cry. Having had a little sister, he knew that she was hungry. He rummaged around the crates again until he found a bottle, formula, and water. _"Not what I would give her, but it'll have to do."_ He made the milk and held Katniss while she ate and went to a nearby window. It had a view of the castle. He scowled as he looked at the ramparts. Last night, the Mockingjay had been flying. Now, it was the Snake.

When Katniss finished eating, he burped her and laid her back in her makeshift crib. She didn't go back to sleep, but giggled and cooed. He let her, knowing no one would find them in the warehouse. But they couldn't stay there, though. Soon enough, they would discover that the princess had survived and be looking for her. Not to mention that people would be looking for him to kill him. He had deserted his post and he wasn't sure if the queen would be able to defend him. She had been the one to tell him to do what needed to be done to protect Katniss. He ran a hand through his hair with a low growl and went back to the trap door. No one had come. And he wasn't going to go back to check the other entrance. He looked through the crates again and found cement. He mixed it and sealed the trapdoor. He wasn't going to allow anyone to use it again. Not any of the Peacekeepers anyway.

Once he had finished his task, he packed supplies for his journey. He had to get to the Capitol. That was the only place that Katniss would be safe to grow up. He found money in the purse stashed in the doorway. He placed this in his pocket and picked up the pack and Katniss. Once they were ready, he exited the warehouse through his old doorway. The sight wasn't any better than he had seen through the window. He pulled up the hood of his jacket and hurried through the streets. His used-to-be friends were pillaging the houses or being beaten by Peacekeepers. He kept his head down and hurried through the streets to his old neighborhood. There was no way he was going to be able to get far enough away on a horse. He needed papers to get into the Capitol. There was only one place he could get them. _"Hopefully they are still in business."_

He hurried down the street to an abandoned looking house. He stepped in and said the password. A woman with graying hair appeared. "Haymitch, this is a surprise. Shouldn't you be at the castle?"

"Why would I risk my neck for them? They forced me into the guard."

"You looked quite happy to be there."

"You need to keep quiet." He moved the blankets from around Katniss's face and showed her to the woman. He covered her back up quickly. "I was assigned to protect her. This is the best way. I need papers to get into the Capitol from the Districts. That's the only place she is going to be safe."

"Are you crazy? You can't take her there."

"Look, no one followed me out of the castle. There was another child. They may believe that they have her. It's best that way. At least this way, she can grow up in peace and actually have a chance at life. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Fine, I'll help you. But if you get caught, don't go blaming us."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

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><p>"Papers." The Peacekeeper said lazily. Haymitch knew that he was looking for refugees from Panem. But he was smart enough to trick them. He handed the man the papers and the Peacekeeper looked through them. Haymitch adjusted Katniss in his arms. She was started to get restless and was squirming. He rocked her as the Peacekeeper handed his papers back. "Get on." Haymitch did and took a seat next to the window. In a few hours, they were in the Capitol. Another Peacekeeper checked their papers and he was free to go. He bought a map of the region and noticed a small village he could go to. It was the perfect place to hide. It was also the perfect place Katniss could grow up in peace.<p>

He bought himself a horse, not having enough for a car, and rode toward that village. He knew that he would have to be the princess's father in place of her own. If the time ever came, he would tell her the truth and pray that she forgave him. But something in his heart told him that she no longer had a kingdom to go back to. They were peasant Capitolites now. They would live that way the rest of his life at least.

He looked down at the bundle in his arms. Her gray eyes looked up at him. He knew he had the same color in his eyes. It wouldn't be hard to pass her off as his child and that her mother had died of a sickness that had spread through their small village. "Don't worry, Katniss. I'll take care of you. You can trust me. Just like your parents did." She cooed and covered Panem's emblem with her tiny hand. He shook away the sadness that was threatening to fall from his eyes.

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><p><strong>Any thoughts about what happened to Katniss's family? Can't wait to read your reviews. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	3. The Game Begins

**I know it says it in the chapter, but I wanted to also say it here. We have time jumped two years forward. Enjoy!**

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><p>He looked at the blanket he had hidden away when he had built the house. House was a generous term for the building they lived in. It was a log cabin with an attic that had stairs running to it. The attic was one bedroom. On the ground floor, the kitchen and living room merged into one. There was a bedroom set off to the left, directly across from the front door where he could see everything.<p>

As he looked at the blanket, he stared at the symbol on it. The Mockingjay. It had once been a symbol of freedom as the symbol of Panem. Many young men and women had fought with this bird as their symbol. Fighting for Panem against the Capitol. The king had triumphed where the others had failed. The blanket belonged to his daughter.

"Daddy!" A voice called from outside. He put the blanket back in the trunk and locked it. No one could see it. He knew he should have burnt it when he had gotten her a new one, but he felt that she may need it someday.

_"Though, I doubt the day will come when I will have to tell her she is a princess." _He stood and pushed the trunk back underneath his bed.

"Daddy!"

"Haymitch!" Haymitch grabbed his gun and walked to the front room. He saw his daughter on the shoulders of the man they had befriended. His name was Edgar Hawthorne. His only son, Gale, had made fast friends with Katniss. Said boy was walking next to his father. He was two years older than Katniss who was three years old now. Two years have passed since Panem was conquered by the Capitol. Haymitch put the gun on the table and opened the door, taking his Katniss from the man's shoulders. "Your girl's got a tight grip."

"Must get it from me." Haymitch laughed as Katniss tried to wriggle out of his grip. No one knew that she was the princess of a dead kingdom. Not even her. _"And with any luck, no one will ever know that she is not mine." _He thought as he remembered to check himself. "What news do you have for us isolated folk?"

"Peacekeepers are coming. I know they haven't bothered you before because Hazelle and I have managed to keep them from coming this far. But someone saw you in town earlier today and they followed you back. I know you want to keep Katniss a secret, which is why you left her with us while you went into town. What are you going to do?" Haymitch put Katniss, his daughter, down and looked at Edgar.

"How much time do I have?"

"They'll be here in about an hour. They've got to stop at my place first. I just wanted to bring Katniss back before they got there. Gale and I have got to get back now."

"What are they looking for?"

"Children."

"Why?"

"Don't you know?" Haymitch didn't answer. "President Snow wants children to participate in his Games. Word is now that he has control of Panem again, it's going to be a big event this year."

"But didn't that happen two years ago?"

"Apparently, there were resistors who refused to believe their champion had fallen. Now that he has complete control, he can go on with the big event. But the Peacekeepers come around and take children who are old enough to go in. Then their names are placed in a pool and two are drawn. One boy, one girl." Haymitch nodded and Edgar and his son left. Haymitch knelt next to Katniss. There wasn't much time. He wasn't expecting this. He thought that the Games were only in the Districts and Panem before the king had won their freedom.

"Come on. Up the stairs." She hurried up, sensing the urgency in his voice. He opened the panel he had yet to nail down and lifted Katniss into the space above. It was right between the ceiling and the actual roof. As long as she didn't make a sound, she would be safe. "Stay here. Don't come out until I come for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Daddy." He nodded and closed the panel. Now that someone knew they were out here, he would have to make a hiding place for her. He knew that he could turn the panel into a hidden door that led into the rafters. He began hiding random articles of hers, such as her clothes, in drawers that locked. He had bought them for when Katniss was in the house and he needed to put his gun away so she wouldn't get to it and hurt herself. He rarely wanted to use it. He also knew he couldn't rely on Edgar and Hazelle forever.

_"Maybe I can get Edgar to teach me to hunt." _He thought. If he could do that, he could make money and trade for things that he and Katniss would need. He had just locked up his gun when there was a pounding on his door. He walked over and opened it. A dozen or so Peacekeepers in their white uniforms were standing in his yard. He could see more in the trees beyond. "What do you want?" He demanded, acting as if he had been interrupted while doing something important.

"Are you married?"

"Does it look like I am?"

"Do you have children?"

"No."

"Check the house." The Peacekeepers pushed past Haymitch and into the house. They immediately noticed the attic bedroom and two went up the stairs. Two more searched his bedroom. They didn't bother with the drawers, knowing they would only find clothes there. Haymitch glared at them the whole while. The Peacekeepers seemed disappointed they didn't find any hidden children in the house. They left without a word, though one did make a point to punch Haymitch in the ribs. The Head Peacekeeper stopped before he exited the house. "Be in the village center tomorrow at noon for the Reaping. If you do not come," he left the threat hanging in the air. Haymitch only nodded, gritting his teeth against the pain. Then they were gone. Haymitch didn't miss the two carts full of children ranging from twelve to eighteen years old.

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><p>He watched mutely as he stood next to Edgar and his family. He had left Katniss at the cabin with strict instructions not to leave and to hide if anyone showed up. He didn't want to come, but if he died because he didn't attend, there would be no one to protect Katniss from the Capitol and they would kill her. As it stood, no one knew that Katniss was the heir to the throne of Panem. He knew that if she were to play in the Games, wearing the symbol of her kingdom, and she won, she would win the freedom of her country again, just as her father had done. But there was always the chance that she would die in them to. It was a chance he wasn't willing to take. He refused to gamble with her life. <em>"Though, if the ones who tried to resist find out that she is here, they'll come for her and take her from me sure as the Peacekeepers would if they found out about her. No matter what, I have to keep Katniss safe. Her parents entrusted her safety to me. I wish they had thought to do the same with little Prim. She would have been spared whatever tortures await her. The President will probably make her play in the Games when she is old enough and then kill her in them just to prove a point. Or to get revenge. The king did kill his son." <em>

He watched as the two children walked up to the pools. They had been the unlucky ones to be picked. He could see it in their eyes. He couldn't believe that President Snow would do this to his own people. He knew it was a way to keep the people under his control. He didn't know how to rule fairly, like the king had done. None of the other children volunteered to take their places and the selected children were whisked away into a black car and taken away. The Peacekeeper dismissed them. Edgar and his family walked away as quickly as they could without looking suspicious. Haymitch matched their pace. He didn't want to be in the village longer than he had to.

"I would expect a package at your front door when you get home." Edgar said once they were safely in the trees again.

"What is it?"

"A television. The Games are televised and everyone is required to watch them. They'll know if you don't have it set up. They have the controls. I'll help you set it up." Haymitch could only nod.

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><p>He watched the screen with blank eyes. He had sent Katniss to her room to play with her toys while he watched. She didn't need to see this. But he did. He needed to see the state of his home. He watched through the Reaping of the Capitol. Only four pairs were actually chosen from the entire pool of children drawn. The Reapings were live. He had guessed much about it. The children who were picked from the countless villages and towns were taken to the capitol, to the President's Mansion. From them, eight were picked. According to Edgar, eleven pairs were chosen with one pair coming from the Districts. As he watched, the television switched to the Districts. He knew they were bigger as well and that the children in the pool had been preselected by the Reapings earlier in the day. From these children, four more pairs were chosen and take to the train to be transported to the Capitol's capitol. Then it switched to Panem. He could see the remains of the castle being used as a backdrop. The only ones there were the royal guard, unable to leave their posts because of their duty. Instead of the gleaming gold, they now wore black, mourning the fall of their kingdom.<p>

He searched for the king and queen, hoping they were alive and only in hiding with Prim. He didn't see them. Eight more children were chosen from the preselected. He snorted in anger. He knew the children. They were children from the men in the royal guard. He had often seen them visiting their parents after school or during the night when they had to stand guard. Snow was making a point. _"He's trying to say that not even the greatest warriors are safe. Well then he's in for a shock. Katniss's father was the greatest warrior of all of Panem. And I will train his daughter to take his place. The greatest warrior of Panem is safe. And she will always be safe."_ He stood and poured himself a small glass of liquor to calm his nerves. He had promised himself he would not become a drunkard, for Katniss's sake. It was a promise he hoped to keep.

The television shut off and he was plunged into darkness. He wondered what would happen if one of the children from Panem won. Would they take the throne? Would they search for Katniss? Would he come forward with her and present her when she came of age? He growled and threw the glass into the sink, shattering it. Katniss's singing stopped. He sighed and hurried up the steps. He had never lost his temper before and knew that the breaking glass had scared her. He scooped her up and rocked her, singing a song he had heard the queen sing to her when she was still an infant.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think of Haymitch as a father figure? Thanks for reading and please review<strong>


	4. Blasts from the Past

**Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!**

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><p>"Dad, why do I have to hide?"<p>

"Because I say you have to, Katniss. Now do as I say and go into the attic. Today of all days, I do not want these men to find you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Dad." Katniss mumbled and walked up the stairs. Haymitch only shook his head and turned to the task of hiding things that obviously belonged to a child of her age. They did this every year. When the day of the reaping came around, he would have her hide and then hide things, including his gun. He only left his bow showing. The second year the Peacekeepers had come by, they had seen it and had asked him why he now owned one. He had told them he needed a way to support himself. They had been satisfied with the answer and left him be. In town, he sold to some of them. He was just glad that it kept Katniss safe and fed. She was starting to learn to use it. Edgar was making her a bow to use so they could go hunting together. He knew that, soon, she would be able to go out herself and he would be able to send her into the woods to hide instead of hiding her in the secret panel above her room.

Katniss watched her father hide her things for a moment before pulling herself up the rope ladder he had strung up. Once she was inside the hiding place, she pulled up the rope and the panel attached to it. The panel was actually the door to her hiding place. When she was five years old, he had finished it. That was the first year she had hidden there. It was well insulated and kept her warm if she went in it to be alone. But there was also a window so light could go in. One day a year, she was to stay in the hiding place until he fetched her himself, using their secret word. She sighed and worked her way to the window. It was in the corner of her room and looked into the trees. Even when she was sitting next to it, no one could see her because no one knew it was there.

In the kitchen, Haymitch waited for the Peacekeepers. They always insisted on checking his house even though he didn't show any signs of having had a wife in the past nine years since they had first come to his house. He left the door open and let them check the house when they arrive at sunset. As always, they found nothing and told him to be in town at Noon for the Reaping. He waited a couple of hours before he took Katniss from her hiding place. Her frown told him that she was not happy at having to hide for no reason. He sat her down at the table and sighed. It was time to tell her why she had to hide. _"She has to know what danger I am shielding her from." _He looked at her. She was waiting. "Fine, you win. I'll tell you why you always have to hide from those men. They are Peacekeepers. They keep the peace here in the Capitol, and in Panem and the Districts. There is a tournament of sorts that the president puts on every year. It's called the Hunger Games. It's supposed to be a glorified event. But it's not. Every year, the Peacekeepers take children in a certain age range, twelve to eighteen. Each town, city, and village has to send a boy and a girl to the capitol city. From there, four pairs from each of the Capitol, the Districts, and Panem are selected to play in the Games. It's brutal, Katniss. The children are forced to kill each other until there is only one left alive. They are kept in the Capitol to mentor the next set of eight that come in. If they're young, like you, their family goes and lives with them, but they still have a chance of going into the Games." He watched her as he let her absorb the information he had just given her. It was a lot to tell a girl of her age, but she had to know what she was hiding from and why.

"Am I the only child they don't know about?" She asked. He knew she was wondering about Gale.

"Yes." Her eyes fell.

"Can I go with you tomorrow?"

"No. If you do, you'll be forced into the pool and I won't be able to hide you next year."

"How long do I have to keep hiding?" Her voice was almost yelling, but she coolly kept it down. "Why must Gale be forced to endure this torture and I don't?"

"Because I promised your mother I would keep you safe. Once you're eighteen and the Games have passed, you won't have to hide anymore. You'll be free to do whatever you want." He looked at her. She glared at him. He had almost told her that he had promised her parents. But he was her parent as far as she knew. When she was old enough to start asking what happened to her mother, he had told her that she had died when she was born. She had left it at that. If he slipped up now, she would never trust him again. "You can't go with me to town, but we'll have to watch it on the television anyway. I'll let you watch it this year."

"And every year after this?" She gave him the look the king would often give his soldiers. There was no doubt that she was her father's daughter.

"Yes." He conceded and she started making dinner while he went outside to get some fresh air. _"That's the closest we've come to a fight since she could talk. She would have made a great queen. It's too bad she doesn't have a kingdom to go back to."_

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><p>She sat at the table, a cup of tea in her hand. Her father had been able to barter it while he was in town for the Reaping. He had told her that Gale hadn't been chosen this year. That made her glad. She didn't want him to have to kill anyone. The television turned on and Haymitch explained that the children they were seeing were the ones that were picked from all the places in the Capitol and that it would be the same in the Districts and Panem. She only nodded and watched as eight children she didn't know were called to the stage. She didn't talk to many people outside of Gale and his family. Her father kept her secluded, but she didn't mind it. She knew that he was doing it to keep her safe. The television switched to the Districts and she watched the same thing happen. Then it was Panem. She saw the ruined castle and the black wearing guards. He told her that they had been the royal guard, in charge of protecting the royal family. Three children were called. She noticed her father seething with anger. Then another twelve year old was called. The blonde girl seemed sort of familiar to Katniss. She glanced at her father and saw him mouth words, his face pale.<p>

"The final tribute is Primrose Everdeen, once princess of Panem." The announcer said. Katniss was confused at her father's reaction. As far as she knew, they didn't know the royal families from the Districts and Panem. "This promises to be a very exciting year. Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" The announcer said cheerily and the television turned off.

"She's alive." She heard her father whisper. She wanted to press him for answers, but decided against it and went into her room. He had promised to take her hunting before the parade tomorrow.

Haymitch barely noticed her leaving. _"I thought they had killed her. Does that mean that her family escaped? And they announced her as Primrose. Do they know about Katniss? How long until they start looking for her?" _All these thoughts ran through his head as he sat in the dark. He didn't know what was going to happen now. He remembered he had promised to take Katniss hunting with him in the morning. _"Now is as good a time as any to teach her everything I know. That includes how to fight."_

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><p><em>"Keep your breathing steady."<em> She told herself. _"Stay steady." _She sighted along the arrow and released. It sank into the center of the target several feet away. Behind her, Haymitch smiled. "How was that, Dad?"

"Better. Much better. But I know you. You can improve." She looked at him and he smiled. "We all have room for improvement." She nodded and rubbed her forearm. This was the first she had hit the target all morning. The bow had been made specially for her small size and low strength by Gale's father. It was a gift from them for her twelfth birthday. Her father said that they knew what he was hiding her from and wanted to help them. That made her glad since she and Gale were best friends. "There may be hope for you yet." He took the bow from her and looked at her arm. It was red from the string hitting it. "You'll get to where it won't hurt. I'll make you a brace to wear for now. You have to practice so you can hunt when I can't."

"When won't you ever be able to hunt?" She teased. He barely managed a smile.

_"So innocent and young." _He thought sadly. _"This is the age that she would have started training to go into the Games had Snow not invaded Panem. It should be the king teaching her these things. Not me. And now that Prim has been found, it's only a matter of time before Katniss is as well." _He called her from the target. She grabbed her arrow and returned.

"Yes, Dad?"

"Go to the pond, you know the one I'm talking about. Gather some of the roots around there for dinner tonight. And don't leave until I come for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dad." She said and clutched her bow to her. He nodded and she scampered off. When she was a good ways away, he returned to the house and reached into the trunk. He pulled out the blankets he had wrapped Katniss in when she was a baby. There had to be an explanation why. He sighed in frustration when he couldn't find anything tucked away.

"Of course there's not going to be anything. They were expecting to flee with her. But it doesn't make sense. Why would they recognize Prim as a princess when it was Katniss who was announced as the princess of Panem? There's got to be a reason." He shook his head and growled. "I'm over thinking this." He told himself as he put everything back in the trunk. "Maybe she was raised by her actual name but everyone thinks that she is the actual princess and her name was changed. Everdeen is her father's name. That probably wasn't changed and so they knew. That has to be it." A twig snapped outside. He narrowed his eyes and grabbed the gun from his waist. He hid the trunk and stepped carefully to the door. He looked outside it. Whoever it was knew they had made a mistake in stepping on the twig. He knew it wasn't Katniss. She may be stubborn, but she knew to follow his directions when it came to her being by herself. A figure blocked the doorway. They were too small to be male. _"Maybe a female from the village." _Then he noticed the hood. No woman from the village would be hooded. She stepped forward. He stepped behind her and put the gun to her head. "Don't you dare reach for the weapon on your belt. Lower your hood." She did. "Turn to me."

"It's good to see you're alive, Haymitch." She said as she turned.

"Coin?"

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and, as always, please review<strong>


	5. Gemini

**I think a little change in POV is in order. Enjoy!**

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><p>Pain. That was what woke her. She sat up, careful to avoid hitting her head on the rock ceiling above her head. She looked at the cut on her arm. She was surprised she had lasted this long and only received a long cut for her troubles. She pulled the bowl of water close. It was cold now, but she didn't dare start another fire. One glance outside told her that it was night. She knew that the Capitol tributes were looking for her before they turned on each other. She was the last one from Panem. None of the District tributes were left.<p>

She washed her wound and tied it with a fresh piece of cloth. Her interview had gotten her at least one sponsor and she guessed they were a doctor of some sort. She had been sent medical supplies before she had even gotten hurt. She touched the locket as she crossed her arm to her wound. She thought about her life, short as it had been. Her mother had raised her in the castle before she was killed. Her father had died in the invasion when she was only a year old. Her mother had often called her Gemini. She had died right before the Reaping. She could still remember her last words.

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><p><strong>-Flashback-<strong>

_**"Listen to me, Prim. There is a reason I have called you Gemini. There is a book of stars in the library. Find it."**_

_** "Why, Mama?"**_

_** "Because, it is who you are. You are the younger of the two. If you ever go into the Games, when you are about to die, make sure you let the whole world know that you are a Gemini and that you are the younger of the two."**_

_** "But why?"**_

_** "Because, she is not dead. Her guardian took her and hid. I wish he had taken you along, but he didn't and you are here."**_

_** "But why does she need to hear the message? She doesn't even know about me being her sister."**_

_** "She isn't the one who has to hear the message, but our people. They think that you are her. They'll suspect something when your name is called and it is not her name. You make sure they know who is dying." Prim took her mother's hand in her small one.**_

_** "I'm scared, Mama. What if I fail?"**_

_** "You won't. You are your father's daughter. You tell them that you are the younger of the Gemini and that will give our people hope. It will give the Districts hope. It will give the Capitol fear. Can you do this for me, Primrose?" Prim nodded, tears in her eyes. Her mother smiled and placed the locket around her neck. She fell back onto the pillows and closed her eyes.**_

**-End Flashback-**

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><p>Prim shook the tears from her eyes and opened the locket. In it was a picture of her mother holding two bundles. The blankets had names on them. One said Primrose. That was hers. The other said Katniss. She knew that had to be her sister. The sister she had never met. The twin she would never know. Her mother had said that Katniss's guardian had taken her the night of the invasion and ran. She wondered why he hadn't taken them both. She was sure that he could have kept both of them safe.<p>

She remembered her mother had told her that her guardian had died defending her father. Her mother had told her of the Royal Guard and how they were bound to her family through blood. Her mother had explained that while Katniss's guardian ran, her guardian refused to do so because he had to protect the king. Katniss's guardian had not been born into the Guard. He had been taken from the streets and made one.

She closed the locket and tried to get back to sleep, but it wouldn't come. She had come to learn that she couldn't sleep when danger was near. She was sure that one of the Capitol tributes was near her little cave. She pulled out her black jacket, which she had taken from the one Capitol tribute she had killed, and wrapped herself up in it, hoping she looked like a rock. She kept the bottom open a crack. A minute later, a tribute walked in. She bit her lip. She was right, it was one of the Capitol tributes. Not that it could have been anyone else. She kept her breathing even as she watched them. They surveyed the area. She could feel their eyes on her. She was glad it was dark. The tribute thought she was a rock in the darkness. She didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the tribute walked out. By then, the other four had joined them. Prim was surprised. She thought that she had been the only one to kill a Capitol tribute. _"Though, five to one odds are not great odds."_ She thought to herself.

"Well, is she in there?"

"Not that I saw. But there are supplies there. Including bloody water. She must be injured."

"Good. The little bitch deserved it for taking him out."

"Where do you think she went?"

"Who cares? Her stuff is here. She'll have to come back. Let's set up a watch and wait. She can't fight the five of us at once."

"And then what?" It was the first time she had heard a girl speak. "We turn on each other right here?"

"Of course not. We agreed to give each other a day before hunting. She got any food in there?"

"Some. I'll go get it." Prim smirked. The whole time they had been talking, she had been poisoning her own food supply. The Capitol was predictable. The tribute went back to her little camp and grabbed her pack of food, not suspecting a thing. She watched and saw them take up positions in the trees after dividing up the food. The only one who didn't take any was the one girl who had spoken. She fell asleep, curled beneath the jacket.

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><p>Four canon shots jolted her out of her sleep. She almost hit her head on the ceiling of the cave. She looked and saw four bodies fall from the trees. The poison had worked and it left only the two of them. <em>"Maybe there is a chance I can win."<em> Those dreams faded when she saw the size of her last opponent. It was a seventeen year old girl. She nodded and accepted her fate. _"Today's as good a day as any to die I guess." _She shrugged off the jacket and grabbed the sword she had taken from the tribute she had killed. She wouldn't die without a fight. She was the daughter of the King of Panem. She was the princess of Panem. She was fighting to give her sister a chance to win in her place. _"Don't let me down, Katniss." _Prim crawled out of the cave and waited for the girl to notice her. When she did, they just looked at each other.

"Were you in there the whole time?"

"I was."

"You poisoned your own food."

"I could have gathered more."

"I was told that the tributes of Panem never played fair. I guess those rules prove true."

"What I did was fairer than five against one." The girl smirked.

"I guess you're right. Well then, shall we get to it?" The girl jumped down from the tree as Prim walked away from the cave.

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><p>He watched in awe as Prim fought the much older girl. They were the last two. If Prim won, Panem would have a victor and possibly a queen. If she lost, Panem would be no worse for her try.<p>

"Any last words, Runt?" The seventeen-year-old asked Prim.

"Only to tell everyone that I am the younger Gemini. Our parents hid the truth about me. I was told to reveal it on the last day I was to possibly live. So I am saying it now. The older Gemini lives."

Haymitch gripped his chair, his knuckles turning white. Coin had said that the queen had planned to send a message through her youngest daughter. He had never thought that the queen would be fool enough to reveal her own daughter.

"What does she mean by that, Daddy?" Haymitch looked down at the twelve-year-old girl sitting against his leg. He couldn't tell her that she was that twin. He couldn't tell her that the princess was talking about her. He cleared his throat.

"She means that she has an older twin and that they are alive."

"Why doesn't she just say it like that?"

"She is in the middle of a fight, Katniss. She can't waste breath to give lengthy answers."

"So Gemini means twins? I wonder where her twin is."

_"If only I could tell you." _He thought. "Wherever she is, the fact that she said something means that her twin is safe." They sat in silence as they watched Prim trip, the sword flying out of her hands. The older girl took her chance and killed the young princess. Katniss hid her head against her father's leg. He gently rubbed her head as he watched the girl shout in victory and climb onto the ladder. It was a recap of what had happened that morning. He thought it odd that the Gamemakers had allowed Prim's last words. Anyone who knew the stars would know what she was talking about.

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><p>He looked out the window and scowled. "The queen is smarter than I gave her credit for." He growled to himself. "I should have killed them all when I had the chance. Now there is another. This older twin. Her Guard must not have been born into their precious Royal Guard blood. He must have been taken from the streets. Which would make him the perfect person to be able to take a princess and run. If only his partner could have been as smart. Twelve years, I thought I had the heir to Panem. Twelve years I thought I would have complete control. Now I find out that there is one more obstacle. Where the hell is she?"<p>

"President Snow?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Your niece is awake. She wants to see you."

"I'll be down in a moment. Send word for the preparations to begin.

"Yes, Sir." President Snow turned back to the window. His family was just producing victors.

_"If this princess does turn up, she won't be able to win against mine."_

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><p><strong>Hehehehe, so what did ya'll think? Thanks for reading and please review!<strong>


	6. Lessons

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"Katniss!" The girl jumped to her feet.<p>

"Yes?"

"Since it is obvious that you know this subject, why don't you tell the class why the Capitol invaded Panem fourteen years ago?" Katniss glanced at Gale, her best friend, from the corner of her eye and saw him trying to stifle a laugh.

"Uh, ummm," she tried to buy for time as she looked at the board. But the answer wasn't there.

"Sit down." Red faced, the fifteen-year-old sat in her sit and looked at her desktop. "Gale, why did the invasion happen?" Gale stood.

"It happened because President Snow wanted to reaffirm the control he had lost to their king. Some think that it was for revenge as the king killed President Snow's son in the Hunger Games, stealing the glory from his family. Others believe it was because Panem was threatening to invade the Capitol and that President Snow invaded as a preventive tactic."

"Thank you, Gale. Sit down." Gale obeyed. A few minutes later, he was shoving a piece of paper under her arm.

_"Don't worry about it. He's always like this to new students."_

_ "Like I haven't heard that before." _She wrote back. _"I've been here a month and he asks me things that I don't even know."_

_ "That is not your fault."_

_ "Don't blame Dad either."_

_ "I'm not." _Katniss tucked the paper into her sleeve as the instructor, a tall, balding man in a tweed suit, walked by and handed them a reading packet.

"This is to be read and the questions answered by your next class which is in a week. I expect each of you to have completed the assignment to my expectations. Dismissed." Everyone stood. Katniss pulled on her hunting jacket, a gift from her father for her fifteenth birthday. She walked ahead of Gale to the door. "Katniss, come here." Katniss winced and turned on her heel. Gale continued to the door.

"Yes, Sir?" He handed her a slip of paper.

"Give this to your parents. Your conduct in class is unbecoming of a citizen of the Capitol. If I didn't know better, I would think that you had come from the Districts or even Panem." He turned back to his briefcase in clear dismissal. Katniss stuffed the paper into her pocket and hurried out the door and past Gale.

"Unbecoming of a citizen of the Capitol." She huffed. She ignored the calls from the younger students as they were released from class. They were Gale's younger siblings and they adored her when she was around. But they were also wary of her. She was the girl who didn't have to go to the Reaping. She was the girl whose name was never called. She was the girl who was invisible to the Capitol.

She walked straight into the woods, grabbing her bow from the log on her way. She never went without it, one of her father's rules for her having it and for being able to go to school. As the years had gone by, she had noticed that he was becoming paranoid. Hazelle, Gale's mother, had been the one to talk him into it. If her father had had his way, she never would have gone to the village to go to school. She knew that he had promised her mother to keep Katniss from the Games. For him, that meant keeping her out of sight of everyone except Gale's family. They had befriended him when he had moved to the forest when she was a year old. It had just been him and her, a year old infant. The past month had been the first she had been allowed into the village. She was sure that he would only laugh at the note. She opened it, read it, and then stuffed it back into her pocket.

She jumped as a loud bang echoed through the forest surrounding their clearing. She knew that it was a gun. The Peacekeepers in the village had fired them off enough that she knew the sound, though, this one sounded vaguely different. She checked the house and found her father's lock box open on the table. The foam inside was molded to the shape of a gun. She heard the bang again and decided to follow the sound. She found him an hour's walk from their home. He was shooting at homemade grass targets across the clearing she had entered. Two of the three targets had been hit in the head and chest, where the heart should be. She watched as he fired the small gun in his hand again and hit the third target in the neck. She absently rubbed her own. The movement caught his eyes and he pointed the gun at her. She raised her hands.

"It's me, Dad." She called. He lowered the gun. She stepped into the clearing. "What are you doing out here?"

"I needed to clear my head."

"By making noise?"

"Is that so bad?" She walked closer and smelled the liquor on his breath. He had been drinking. It surprised her. She had never known him to have a single drop of liquor since the day she had been born. "How was school?" She scowled again. "That bad, huh? Well, you don't have to keep going."

"You know what Hazelle will say if I don't go." It was his turn to scowl. "But the teacher wanted me to give you this." She handed him the paper.

"To the parents of Katniss: I am concerned about your daughter's education. She does not know the basics that have been taught to Capitol children since they are five years old. Remedy this or I will be forced to take drastic action. Signed, I can't read that."

"It doesn't matter. I watched him write it. Besides, there's no way I could have made that up."

"What did he ask you today?"

"Why Snow invaded Panem?" Haymitch gripped the gun tightly.

"He invaded because he had been humiliated by the king. The king had proven that Snow's family was not invincible. He killed Snow's son and won the freedom of Panem."

"That's what I've never understood. Everywhere, I hear that the king won the freedom of his country. But how could he have done that if others from Panem had been fighting in the Games long before him." Haymitch smiled and holstered the gun. He sat on a log and motioned for Katniss to join him. She did.

"I am from Panem. That is why we have the dark hair and gray eyes. Those are traits of Panem. Your mother was from the Districts, the Merchant District. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, much like Princess Primrose. It is told, in Panem, that long before the Games ever started, the three kingdoms were separate and the Games didn't exist. Each had their own royal line. President Snow is of the royal line of the Capitol. Princess Primrose and her sister were the last of their line. And I believe there is a prince who is currently the last of his line in the Districts. As you know, the Capitol started attacking and conquering the other two countries. The Capitol had advanced much faster than the others and so was able to win. The royal family of the Districts was able to keep its throne and rule as long as they followed orders from the capitol. Panem was given the same option. However, they fought back. Being as young in technology as they were, they lost and the Hunger Games formed a hundred years ago. To punish Panem, Snow's father formed the Hunger Games and used children from only Panem. But he couldn't let the Districts think they could attack either. So they took power from the royal family and forced them to participate in the Games as well. Then, he included his own people to show what would happen if they ever rose up against them. Once the Games started, the royal family hid among their people.

"Twenty-three years ago, during the Second Quarter Quell, one of Panem's hidden sons volunteered for his younger brother. He announced in his interview who he was and that if he won, Panem would be free. Snow accepted the wager and so the Game went. The king won. Snow was furious. But he couldn't bomb Panem. He had made a promise that they would be free if the king won. Everything was peaceful for eight years. Then Primrose and her sister were born. Snow saw his chance and attacked, seeking to retake what his family had won in war." Katniss noticed the tears and wiped them away. Haymitch looked at her. "Don't ever repeat what I've just told you. That is the truth of what happened. The Capitol will tell it differently. I tell you this because I want you to know the truth." She nodded.

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><p>She looked up at the knock. It was their code. After the disaster at school the other day, she had hidden in her hideout with the panel closed. The only way for someone to talk to her was to knock so she could let them in if she wanted to. She set the packet on the ground and walked to the closed panel and lifted a small part of it that allowed her to see and talk to whoever was below her. "Yes, Dad."<p>

"Come with me. It's time you learned something." Katniss nodded and opened the main panel and climbed down. She grabbed her bow and followed her father into the clearing where she had found him the other day. He drew the gun from his belt. "This is a pistol. They are mainly used here in the Capitol. I bought it when we moved out here after you were born."

"How do you know how to use it?"

"Do you remember how I told you that I am from Panem?" She nodded. "I was part of a special force that protected the royal family there until Snow invaded and killed them. I was able to get away because I wasn't honor bound to stay and protect them like the rest were." His throat constricted as he partially lied to her. "I had been sent to the force as punishment because I would become extremely drunk too many times to count."

"But that changed when you met Mom." Katniss said. "And I was born." Haymitch smiled. He had told her the truth in small bits. He had completely quit drinking when her father had made him her personal guard and he had met the queen. "But what does that have to do with the gun?"

"You are a great shot with the bow, Katniss. But there is going to come a time when you may not have the luxury to use it." He put the gun in her hands. It was heavy and she was afraid she was going to drop it. Haymitch stood behind her. She could tell that he had showered and had put the liquor away. "Hold it like this." He situated her hands to where her pointer finger was on the trigger and her thumb was on a hammer looking piece. He had her wrap her other hand around the fingers on her handle to steady herself. "This piece is the hammer. Pull it back with your thumb. Hear that click, it means that the gun is ready." He pointed her to the targets which he had fixed. "The piece your finger is on is called the trigger. You pull it when you are ready to shoot. Aim careful. Though, there are times when you won't have that luxury either. By then, you should have enough practice to be able to aim quick and careful. Pull the trigger." The retort of the gun made the birds in the trees take flight. Katniss stumbled back into her father. The bullet grazed the target. "Not bad for your first try. Again."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and please review!<strong>


	7. Author's Note

**Hi all, I just wanted to tell you that this fic will not be updated as regularly as it used to be on account that I now I have to juggle things in my life. Please know that I am not giving up on this fic, only that it will be a longer wait between updates, possibly. Thank you.**

**Violet Eagle.**


	8. Found Promises

**Katniss is still hidden while she is going to school since only Gale's family knows where she lives and who her father is. Enjoy!**

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><p>He picked his head up and looked around. It was quiet and the sun was barely rising. He tried going back to sleep. There would be no hunting. It was too cold being in the middle of winter. Sleep wouldn't return. He remembered the feeling. It was the same feeling he had gotten the night of the invasion. It had woken him then because there was a threat to Katniss. He growled and got out of bed, making sure not to make any noise. A few years ago, he had learned that Katniss was a very light sleeper and the slightest noise would wake her. He also knew that she would be waking up soon. She liked to go on walks and he knew that her friend, Gale, was leaving to start work in some mine or other soon.<p>

He pulled on his boots and grabbed his gun. Once he had started teaching Katniss to use it last year, he had kept it unlocked and in easy reach in case either of them needed it. He knew that she didn't like it and preferred her bow. But if anything went wrong and she couldn't get to her bow, then she would have to use a gun, no matter how much she hated it. He stepped into the snow and out into the woods that kept them hidden for the most part. He saw movement from the south. He circled to the west and came up behind whoever it was. They didn't look like a Peacekeeper sent to spy on him. He had had a few of those and had gotten rid of them without permanently harming them. The person was watching the house. Haymitch but the gun to the man's back.

"Don't move." He whispered and checked the house. Katniss hadn't left yet and he didn't want her to be seen by the moron in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"Haymitch, is that you?" He cocked the gun back.

"Who are you and what are you doing here? Answer me or I swear I will blow your brains out."

"Haymitch, I order you to stand down and let me face you."

"Not a chance, Asshole. I only answer to the royal family and my captain. All of whom are either dead or imprisoned."

"Damn it, Man!" The man in front of him turned and Haymitch barely pointed the gun up in time as a shot rang through the air.

"Finnick?"

"Nice to see you to."

"How did you find me?"

"You're not the only one who lived on the streets. Now, can we get inside? It's freezing out here." Haymitch holstered his gun and led his former captain inside the small house he shared with Katniss. "Now, do you mind telling me what that was all about?"

"I enjoy my privacy." Movement was heard upstairs. Finnick grinned. Haymitch scowled. "What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you. Everyone thinks you've deserted."

"It's been fifteen years. Why have you come looking now?"

"I've been looking for fourteen years. I've looked all over Panem and the Districts. The Capitol was the last place to check for you."

"Why?"

"Like I said, everyone thinks you've deserted. They all know that you were responsible for Princess Katniss. The night she and her parents died, you were nowhere to be found. Last anyone saw you, you were heading to the royal rooms."

"Then leave and let them keep thinking I've deserted." Haymitch poured himself a cup of water and drank all of it before refilling it and handing it to Finnick. At that moment, a young woman, about sixteen years old, with black hair and gray eyes bounded down the steps from the attic with a bow on her back.

"Be back by lunch!" She called as she raced through the kitchen.

"Make sure to stay where I can find you!"

"I will, Dad!" She called as she went out the door. Haymitch turned his eyes back on Finnick.

"Not a word."

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Shut up, Idiot. Thanks to you, we have to move. You should be lucky I don't kill you." Finnick looked at his friend in wonder.

"Is that her?"

"Of course it is. Now shut up and leave. I have to figure out where to go next. Fifteen years we've been here and we haven't been troubled. Now, some idiot from the past shows up and ruins everything."

"How long did you think you'd be able to hide her?"

"I was hoping for the rest of my life! Her parents entrusted me with her safety."

"Gods above, what possessed you to run away with the princess?"

Haymitch sighed and put his gun on the table. "Right before Katniss turned a year old, the queen was sitting on the balcony and holding her. She asked me what I would do with Katniss if Panem was ever invaded. She made it clear that I was to do whatever was necessary to keep Katniss safe. I told the queen that, in the event of an invasion, I would take Katniss and hide among our enemies where she would not be looked for. That's what I did that night. After I informed the captain of my feelings, I went and stood guard at the crib. When I heard that the castle had been breached, I grabbed Katniss from her bed and fled into a secret passage in the room. I never looked back. I only hope that the king and queen are happy that I did my job." Haymitch furrowed his brow. "There was another guard on duty protecting Katniss's sister. He saw me leave. He didn't follow saying that he had to protect the king even though his first priority was the girl in his charge. Didn't he tell anyone that I took the princess?"

"He couldn't. He was killed by the Snake's men." Finnick's eyes widened. "That means the girl they killed wasn't Katniss. That's why they haven't even looked for you. They think that the princess is dead with her parents and guard and sister."

"You mean that they are all dead?"

"Unfortunately. All of Panem thinks that the Mockingjay is dead as well. The Snake flies over the kingdom. We lose children to his Games." Finnick sat and accepted the cup of liquor that Haymitch passed him. Haymitch took a small swing from his personal flask. They sat in silence for a time. "You know, she could do it." He said after a few minutes.

"Do what?"

"The reason for the tournament that her father won was to keep the Districts and Panem in his grip. If someone was to play in the Games for the fate of Panem and win, it would free Panem."

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"Exactly what I mean. No. She is not going to play in those Games. It's not just in Panem and the Districts. It's here in the Capitol to. Every year, they come looking to see if I have a child old enough to go in. I have her hide in the attic until they leave. I have kept her from them for this long. I am not going to put her in them for the sole purpose of trying to restore a destroyed kingdom!"

"Then where are you going to go? I found you. It's only a matter of time before he wises up and comes looking for you to."

"Don't worry. I have a place I can go. You need to go back to Panem. Tell them that you found me and killed me for my desertion. No one can know that Katniss lives. She is dead to Panem. Am I understood?"

"Clearly." Finnick said before standing and leaving. Haymitch sat at the table, waiting for Katniss to return.

* * *

><p>She kept her breath steady as she ran to their meeting place. She was late in meeting Gale. But it had been necessary for her to wait. She had heard the gunshot and had decided to wait until she heard her father's voice again. What she had heard had interested her. She had the same name as a princess. She guessed Princess Primrose's sister. She figured it must have been a coincidence or she had misheard the name. There was no way that she was the princess that Prim had died revealing.<p>

"You're late." Gale said, trying to act stern like his father. Katniss laughed. "It's," then he started laughing. "How are you able to do that?" He laughed. She smiled.

"You make it easy." She answered smugly before sitting down next to him.

"Really though, why are you late? You promised to be here to watch the sunrise with me."

"Someone came to the house. Dad nearly shot him. I guess he knew him from back before we moved here." Gale nodded. She had told him that her parents were from Panem and the Districts and not the Capitol like him. She bit her lip. She wanted to tell him that she liked him, a lot. But she had no idea how to tell him. Gale looked at her sideways and could see that she was thinking. He wanted to tell her that he loved her. That he wanted to marry her when she turned eighteen, when she would be free of her father. Instead of talking, they sat in silence, both trying to find the words to tell the other how they felt.

"How do you feel about running away?" He asked suddenly.

"I don't like it. Dad ran away when Panem was invaded. He told me that he used to be part of a guard that protected the royal family there. If he had been around, maybe they would be alive. Why do you ask?"

"Well, the situation isn't as extreme as it was for Haymitch. But say I was to ask you to run away with me, would you?" Katniss began biting her lip again.

"I don't know. Dad says that in two years I can stop hiding in the attic when the Peacekeepers come. That I can go anywhere then."

"But what if I can't find you when that time comes?" Katniss stopped breathing for a moment.

"Then I will find you." Katniss answered and they both knew each other's feelings. Gale turned her head to him and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"How about we find some lunch? I'm sure your father will want a peace offering from me when I ask." They laughed and started hunting and checking their snares.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and please review.<strong>


	9. Truth

**Not sure if Peeta will be making an appearance. But if he does, he and Katniss won't be getting together, naturally. And if I break hearts here, i'm sorry in advance. Enjoy!**

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><p>He looked up at the sound of laughter. He recognized Katniss's, and Gale's. A smile tugged at his mouth. The boy was never far from her. He knew that what he had to say was going to break their hearts, but it was time that she know the truth. He looked out the window and saw Gale carrying a large buck on his shoulders. It was enough to feed both of their families for several months if they were careful. He also noticed the way the two of them were looking at each other. It was different from before. His heart fell. She had done what he had hoped and wanted for her. But it had come too late. They had to disappear again. Not to mention that her people would hate her for marrying one of their enemy. <em>"Though, if I have my way, she won't be queen."<em> He thought. He couldn't let her try to win her country back. It was dead. There was no hope for it to come back. They needed to hide somewhere else until she was eighteen. She would be safe then.

"Dad, are you in here?" Katniss called. He heard the thunk of Gale putting the carcass on the table. He stuffed the blanket into his back pocket and walked back into the kitchen.

"Gale, take this to your family. They could use it more than we can."

"Sir, I brought it as a present for you."

"I understand that and my answer is not now. Maybe when she is older. Take the buck and go back to your family." Katniss looked at Gale's stone face. He picked up the buck and walked out the door. Katniss followed him out. She hugged him tightly. She knew what was happening. They were leaving. She watched him until he was lost from sight. She scowled and stormed back inside.

"What did you do that for?" She yelled. "You didn't even give him a chance! And why didn't you tell me we were leaving?" Haymitch backed off a step. He didn't think that she could have such a temper.

_"That would get her far in the Arena. Damn it, Man! Don't think that way. She is not going into the Games!"_ He pulled the blanket from his pocket. "Sit down, Katniss. There are some things that you need to know." She glared, but sat down. He sat down as well and put the blanket in between them. She said nothing as she looked at it. "This was yours when you were a baby. I've kept it in case this damned day ever came."

"And what day would that be?"

"The day I tell you who you really are. Who your parents are?"

"You are my dad."

"Katniss, look at me." She looked up from the blanket, having just found her name on it, and at him. "I am not your father. I've been lying to you for most of your life. Some of what I told you is true, like how I stopped drinking when I met your mother. The queen had just given birth to you and your sister and I was brought in to protect you."

"I don't have a sister."

"No, not anymore anyway." She raised an eyebrow. "Katniss, your parents were the king and queen of Panem. The reason I ran the night of the invasion was because I had you in my safekeeping and I needed to keep you safe. Do you understand?"

"Dad, you can tell me the truth of why we are leaving. You can tell me that you don't want me marrying Gale because you are scared for me."

"Damn it, Katniss!" He roared. She jumped to her feet. "You are not my daughter. I never had a daughter! I was never married! Sixteen years ago, twin girls were born to the king and queen of Panem. They decided to keep them safe by declaring that they only had one child, you, and that the other had been adopted. Prim was that other girl. She had one of your father's personal guards protecting her. But the fool was too stubborn to go against his blood and so he and the king died. Then Prim died in the Games when you were twelve. The queen is dead to. You are the only one left alive because I brought you to the land of your enemies where they wouldn't look for you. You are not Katniss Abernathy. You are Katniss Everdeen, Queen of Panem. You are the Mockingjay." The tears were rolling down his cheeks. He could see them mirrored on her face. She had the blanket clenched in her hand. Her bow was still on her back. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she ran out the door. "Katniss!" He called after her. "Katniss, come back!" He raced after her. But she was gone. He growled and returned to the cottage for his bow and gun.

He ran to all the places he knew she went to with Gale or by herself or with him. She wasn't at any of them. Finally, he turned toward Gale's home. She would have gone there, he knew. Especially after what Gale had wanted to ask him. _"Damn you, Finnick. If I see you again, I'm going to kill you." _He knocked on the door. Ed answered.

"Haymitch, good to see you." His hands were bloody. "Come in." Haymitch did and saw the buck Gale had wanted to give him on the table, freshly skinned. Gale looked at him. "What can we do for you today?"

"I was wondering if Katniss had come by. I told her some things and she ran off. I can't find her anywhere. It's important. She was seen. We have to leave." Gale started cleaning his hands.

"Son?"

"I know where she is. I'll go get her." Gale pulled on his jacket and grabbed his bow, glaring at Haymitch on the way out. Once he was gone, Ed turned to Haymitch.

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth."

"Truth?"

"I'm not her father. Her father died in an invasion fifteen years ago. I was entrusted with her safety and so I brought her to the land of her enemies where they wouldn't think to look for her. Ed, her last name isn't Abernathy. It's Everdeen." Ed's and Hazelle's eyes widened in disbelief and so Haymitch launched into his tale.

* * *

><p>She threw another rock at the ice, hoping to break it. It didn't break. Tears were still streaming down her face, the blanket in the snow behind her. It was a baby blanket. It had her name and the crest of Panem on it. She had learned that only the children of royalty had blankets like that. "WHY?" She screamed into the air and threw another rock.<p>

"You're going to throw out your arm like that." Gale said from behind her.

"At least that will be the truth." He pulled her into an embrace before she could throw another rock.

"What did he tell you?"

"He claims it's the truth."

"Which is?"

"What's the name of the royal family of Panem?" She asked suddenly. He fumbled for words.

"Everdeen I think. Why do you ask?" She pulled away.

"Do you know the symbol of Panem?"

"The Mockingjay. What is this about, Katniss?" She picked up the blanket.

"This was mine when I was a baby." She showed him the crest. "Only royals have blankets like these." She handed it to him and waited. He looked at the crest for a long time and then at her name and then the crest again.

"He could have had this commissioned for you when you were a baby."

"Then why was it hidden. Why does he chose now to tell me this instead of when I was a little girl when I would have had a better time believing it?" She snatched the blanket back. "This is why he said no. There was never going to be a when I was older. It never would have happened!" Gale pulled her back into an embrace and she cried. "Let's go. Let's just run away." She sobbed. He stroked her hair.

"He came by the house to look for you. He seemed really worried."

"That's because if something happens to me, he'll be punished for it. According to him, the reason he ran from Panem that night was because he was protecting me. He had me in his arms as he ran from the castle."

"So," Gale turned her face towards him, "isn't it possible that the lies were to protect you as well. Think about it Katniss, he said that the two of you have to leave because you were seen. The man who saw you must have been from Panem. Haymitch knows that if you were found once, others will find you in the same place. The leaving is to protect you. He lied to you to protect you. He told you the truth now so that you would know why you were being forced to run. Do you understand?" She didn't answer and rested her head on his chest. "The worry in his eyes was not that of a soldier losing his charge. The worry I saw in his eyes was the same worry I've seen in the eyes of my father. Haymitch truly cares for you as a daughter. If you hadn't been found, he never would have had to tell you the truth. Then what would have happened if you had learned the truth after we were married and had our own children and he was dead?"

"I would have laughed and turned them away. I would have told them that they were nuts."

"And then they would have come and kidnapped you and forced you to fight for them." Gale said, holding her close. "You have to go." He whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere without you."

* * *

><p>The adults looked up as they heard the snow crunch under two pairs of boots. Haymitch got up and looked out the window and saw Gale and Katniss walking as if attached at the hip. Ed saw it to. "What are you going to do? Making her leave him is going to break her heart and she is going to hate you for the rest of her life."<p>

"You sound like someone who knows."

"I do know. The same happened with my sister before she killed herself." Haymitch didn't get a chance to answer as the two teenagers entered the house. Haymitch pulled Katniss into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Katniss. But please, I did this to protect you."

"I know she said. And I'm ready to go. But I have one condition."

"And what is that?" He pulled away and she stood next to Gale.

"Gale comes with us."

"Absolutely not."

"Then I'm not going."

"You just said,"

"I said I'll go as long as Gale comes with us. If you won't let him come, I'm not going with you. I will go with Gale. I love him and he loves me. We go together are not at all."

"Just like your father." Haymitch grumbled. "Fine. But you have to be able to be useful."

"Don't worry, I will be." Gale answered.

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><p><strong>What do you think about this new development? Fights between boy and man? Maybe... hehehehe. Thanks for reading and please review!<strong>


	10. Acting

**Just a quick question, would you rather I respond to reviews before the chapter or afterwards? **

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Katniss watched as her now revealed foster father argued with her fiancée. They had done the same thing every night for the past week and it was getting on her nerves. And it was about the same thing every time: their destination. Gale wanted to know where they were going and if it was dangerous. Haymitch wouldn't say, claiming that if he told them now, he would have to kill Gale in order to keep it a secret. At that point, Katniss would intervene and stop the argument. <em>"Though, maybe I should let it go on and see what happens. The only reason I ever stopped it was because they looked as if they were about to come to blows. Which they look like they are going to do now." <em>She jumped off the log that served as her seat and stepped between the two men in her life. "That is enough." She growled. "We cannot be fighting each other or we won't be able to fight for our lives if the Peacekeepers find us. Remember, Gale was supposed to report to the mines and he never did. And then we suddenly disappeared with him. They're bound to be looking for us." It was a weak argument and would last a couple days at best. Haymitch pulled her away from the fire and from Gale. "Why do you keep trying to scare him away?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"Where we're going, he's not going to be welcome. They'll imprison him the moment he steps foot on their grounds just because he was born here. Not to mention that your people won't be happy that you are in love with one of the enemy." Katniss shook her head.

"Then they know nothing. The day we left, I told Gale what you told me. And he didn't turn away from me. Instead, he insisted that he come with me and protect me and that he was going to marry me, no matter what anyone said. And if it is true that I am the princess,"

"Queen,"

"Queen, of Panem, then I can marry who the hell I want. Gale is not the enemy. The people of the Capitol are just as much victims as Panem and the Districts. And, if they still insist on imprisoning him, then they will have to find themselves another queen because I won't fight for them and Gale and I will run and hide. Forever if we have to." She looked at her foster father, the man she had called Dad for sixteen years.

"Yup, as stubborn as the king." Haymitch mumbled. "Fine," he said aloud, "I'll tell you where we are headed. If only to make sure you know the danger you are walking into." He said to Gale.

"I'll brave what I have to for her."

"Dad," Katniss said warningly and cut off Haymitch's reply.

"We are going to a place called Thirteen. It's not a District because it has people from both Panem and the Districts. It lies on the border of Panem and the Districts and would have been the thirteenth of either country had taken the land for themselves. But they left it in peace, knowing that one day it could be useful. And it is now. The president there has gathered anyone willing to fight from Panem and the Districts. The only reason they haven't attacked yet is because they have no one to place on the thrones of the countries they are fighting for. That is where you come in, Katniss. Once we arrive, they'll want to place you as a figure head and then fight. If they win, you'll become queen."

"I won't be used." Katniss growled. Haymitch smiled.

_"That's my girl." _He thought. "And I'll make sure you won't be. You already know what to do once we get there if it comes to it." He looked at Gale who got the meaning from the one look. "And I'll help you. I know someone who is in a power position there. She helped us get into the Capitol during the invasion. She'll be able to help us once we are in the compound. The only reason that I am telling the two of you this is so that you know what you are walking into. You still have the chance to go a different way and hide. But I am going there. I was found by someone from Panem. And I'm sure that the Peacekeepers are suspicious of me now. Thirteen's the only place for me now. But the two of you still have options."

"We are going to Thirteen." Katniss said. "Snow's games have gone on long enough. We need a new president." Gale nodded and Haymitch looked at the young woman he had called his daughter for fifteen years. The sixteen year old looked more like her parents now than she ever had before. I made him both proud and scared.

_"If she is anything like her father, she'll fight until she can't fight anymore."_

* * *

><p>Katniss adjusted her pack and looked at the open ground before them. Haymitch had said that it was forest even past the border. But there was no forest to be seen now. Not even a tree stump. He wasn't going to like this. They weren't going to be able to sneak into Panem from here. She sighed and walked quietly back to camp. Gale looked up when he saw her. He had been the last on watch and they had decided she would go and scout the land without Haymitch knowing. Though, he would have to know now. She grabbed a handful of snow and packed it into a ball. She knew he slept with a knife under his head. Gale moved to stand next to her. She weighed the snow in her hand and then tossed it. It landed right on the back of his neck.<p>

Haymitch jumped up, swinging his knife and cursing. Katniss couldn't contain her laugh and that stopped his raging. He scowled. "What was that for?" He demanded.

"Get ready to leave and I'll show you." She answered. Haymitch grumbled, but packed up his blanket and holstered his gun. Once they were ready, Katniss led them to the spot she had been an hour before and pointed. Haymitch cursed. "What now?" Gale had pointed out the watch towers along the border which she had missed before.

"None of us have papers. I burned ours once we were safely in this country. I never thought that we would have to go back."

"We could play that one of us is a victor on a trip home." Gale suggested.

"That won't work. They've watched all the Games and will realize that you are not one of the victors."

"But they won't recognize you, Dad." Katniss said. Haymitch and Gale looked at her. "You are older than most of these Peacekeepers,"

"Thanks a lot."

"They won't recognize you." Katniss continued without commenting on the interruption. "You can hold yourself like you are a victor and we can be your child and her friend going for a visit to Panem. We pulled off me being your daughter for fifteen years, we can pull this off."

"It's risky. And if what you said the other night is true, they'll have a poster of at least me up."

"I doubt it." Gale said. "We have a good week and half on any papers that could have been sent to the border. As a rule, there is no electricity here so that the Districts and Panem don't get a hold of it and revolt. They'd have to send riders before they knew about you if you're that important at all."

"But it's ten miles to the closest depot."

"So we walk across. They won't want to question a victor's motives. There's no telling if they'll ever have to go back into the Arena." Katniss said with a wink and Haymitch glared.

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><p>"Sprint, damn it! How are you supposed to get away from a fellow tribute if you can't sprint across this field?" Gale taunted as he and Katniss walked a few feet behind a sprinting Haymitch. Though to Katniss, it could hardly be called sprinting. It was more like fumbling across the open field. He was old. He had been in his prime when she had been born and was glad that he wasn't actually a victor. Though, it could be played off that he was greatly out of practice. "Do you think this'll work?" Gale whispered through gritted teeth as Haymitch finally collapsed on the ground.<p>

"I hope so. Being a soldier, I thought he would always be able to be ready to go." Haymitch mumbled something into the dirt. Katniss and Gale helped him up as several Peacekeepers neared them.

"What is going on here?" The one in command demanded. Katniss looked at him.

"He's training. He was a victor before I was born and he's now worried that he might have to go back in someday."

"And who is he to you?" The man's voice was a little more gentle.

"I am his daughter. My name is Catnip." The Peacekeepers snickered and she glared. The name had been Gale's idea and she wasn't as thrilled with it as he was.

"Is he alright?"

"He will be. This was his idea to train while we traveled."

"And where are you traveling to?"

"To Panem. He says he has family there that he wants to see before he dies."

"Are you sure he is telling the truth?"

"Would you question your father?" She countered. She felt Haymitch chuckle. The lead Peacekeeper dismounted.

"Well, the orders are to help any victor who is about. And it looks as if your father is about to pass out from exhaustion." He helped Haymitch onto the horse and they began walking. Gale stayed a step or two behind her while she stayed close to Haymitch. The Peacekeeper walked next to her. "So who is he?" He pointed a thumb at Gale.

"A childhood friend of mine. He wanted to come along and loved the idea of my father training again. I think he hopes that Dad will go back into the Arena so that we could see him in action. Though, I doubt that he'll last long in the shape he's in."

"You don't know who you're talking about." Haymitch finally pitched in and he and the Peacekeeper started talking. Katniss fell back to walk with Gale.

"Seems to be working." He mumbled. She nodded and watched Haymitch. The falling in the dirt had been an act and she knew it now. He had recovered too quickly for it to be real. It told her what he really thought about her plan and how he planned to make the most of it. They reached the watch towers and they were given food and horses to continue their travel with. They were told it was because Haymitch was a victor and that all victors were near royalty in the Capitol. Katniss and Gale said nothing while Haymitch gushed thanks and mumbled about how he was finally being appreciated. Finally, they were on their way and crossed the border an hour later. Once safely out of ear shot, Haymitch laughed.

"I've never had that much fun since before I was on the guard." He said. Katniss rolled her eyes.

"It was my idea."

"Yes, it was. But I milked it for all its worth." Katniss rolled her eyes again and said nothing.

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><p><strong>Had to have a little humor after all the seriousness that came before and what is no doubt going to follow. Thanks for reading and please review!<strong>


	11. Warm Welcomes

"So, Dad, you said that we are going to Thirteen, but you have yet to tell us exactly where that is."

"It's on the border between the Districts and Panem."

"Dad,"

"Fine. It actually rests where the three kingdoms meet. It's safer to get to it through Panem because it's in a mountain." He slipped and sent pebbles down the side of the cliff they were walking along. They had left the horses when it was obvious that they couldn't make the climb. The cliff was a natural border between Panem and the Capitol. Not that it had been very effective fifteen years ago. "They went underground because of their position to the Capitol where they are seen as rebels. I heard that Snow is looking for them. If he were to find them, they would destroy them and make nothing is left for anyone to come back to. It's happened before." Katniss didn't question further. Every day, she was realizing just how much was actually on her shoulders and how much had been on them since the day she was born. She hated it and wished, for a moment, that she and Gale had run.

_"What will be expected of me when we get there? What promises have my parents made on my behalf that I may have to break?" _She thought sullenly, allowing Gale to wrap protective arm around her. She didn't mind it at the moment. She was tired and was barely aware of them talking over her head. At one point, she felt Gale tense and wondered what that could have been about. But forgot about it once the tension was gone.

It was getting dark by the time they reached a cave to spend the night in. They had been riding for the past week, making sure to stay out of sight as much as possible. She and Gale would do the hunting while Haymitch made the fire. Tonight was no different except that the tension had come back when they had prepared to leave. The two of them walked, only paying attention enough to leave markers for their way back. After about fifteen minutes, she turned to him.

"What were the two of you talking about earlier?" She asked.

"What are you talking about?'

"When I was leaning against you, I felt you tense up about something. What were you and Dad talking about?"

"I thought you were asleep." He had been about to pick her up at that point so she could sleep.

"Dozing as I walked. Now answer my question."

"He was telling me about your past. The year that you lived as the princess of Panem instead of as a woodswoman in the Capitol."

"That shouldn't have made you tense up the way you did."

"He told me that your parents have promised you to one of the princes of the Districts. He didn't say if it was the oldest or not. But I'm guessing so since he also said that if that marriage had happened and you won the Games, and kept winning them, then the Districts would also be free."

"And that made you tense?"

"He's afraid that you'll be forced to go through with the marriage by the president of Thirteen. He was telling me because he has, informally, inducted me into the Royal Guard and now I am to protect you similar to how he does. I think that is how we are going to present me to them when we get there instead of as your fiancée."

"I don't want to hide that we are engaged." She said. "If we hide that fact, then they will force me to marry this prince and then all they'd have to do is send me into the Games to win their freedom." Gale smiled as she pulled her bow quickly and shot into the darkness. They followed the arrow and found that she had shot a young buck.

"If you went into the Games, you would be a force to be reckoned with." He said and kissed her head before picking up the deer and walking back to the cave.

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><p>He looked after the two teenagers long after they had left to find dinner for the night. He had gotten the fire started fairly quickly and was only waiting. He knew that Gale would tell Katniss what he had said. He had said it on purpose so that Gale would tell her. He wanted to give them another chance to run if they wanted to. He hadn't told them that they were practically at Thirteen's doorstep. And he didn't plan to until they got back, <em>"if they come back." <em>He reminded himself. Though, he knew that they would. Katniss had fallen in love with Gale and his family. As it stood, his family was still in danger of the Games. She would fight with everything she had to make sure that they did not have to suffer the fate of her twin sister.

He picked up his head, listening for the tell-tale footsteps of a successful hunter coming his way. They had been gone too long. He had seen a herd half an hour before they stopped. He had judged that they shouldn't have been far from the cave. He knew that Katniss had seen them to. He waited another half hour before walking outside of the cave, following the path they had taken. He found a dead buck in the middle of the path and saw Katniss's signature shot. Something was wrong.

"Don't move." A voice said behind him. He lifted his hands in surrender, knowing that at least a dozen guns were pointed at him.

"Where is my daughter?" He demanded. He wanted to be sure that Katniss was safe before he did anything or went into Thirteen. "What have you done with her?"

"Shut up." The same voice answered. He thought he recognized it. "I ask the questions here. What are you doing here?"

"We picked that cave up there to stay the night. We are traveling to see family." He knew that he would not be able to pull the victor card that had gotten them across the border. He wished he could see their uniforms so he could know what to say. But they were hidden by the trees and the darkness. "Where is my daughter and her fiancée?" He felt the butt of a gun and then only knew darkness.

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><p>She opened her eyes and then closed them again to block the blinding light above her. She turned and heard a rattle. She opened her eyes, slowly, and looked at her hands. They were chained and so were her feet. She tried to sit up to get a look at her surroundings and found that she had very little clothing on except for a hospital gown. She bit her lip, contemplating if she should call out for Gale and Haymitch. Then she noticed the guard at the door. He didn't wear the white the Peacekeepers did, but several shades of grey. He was watching her. She glared back. <em>"And Dad said that I would be welcomed."<em> She tried looking around the room again. That made the guard move toward her. He didn't take off the chains, but he raised the bed into a sitting position before returning to the door. She looked at the room. It was small with only room for her bed and a small table. The guard was closer than she had previously thought and the door opened from the outside. "Where is my dad and my friend?" She demanded. He looked at her, startled. She didn't care. "Answer me! Where are they?"

"I don't know. My job is to guard you."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you have to guard me?"

"You trespassed on Thirteen's land."

"My father said that we would be welcomed."

"No one from the Capitol is welcomed." Katniss bit back her reply. She wasn't going to say anything to this man. She would talk only to the president and yell at him for his mistake. She was made aware of a room next to hers by yelling she recognized.

"Idiots! Don't you know me? I am the guard to Princess Katniss who is now the Queen of Panem! Alma Coin, ask her! She knows me! She knows the queen! Damnit! Let me out of these chains!" The guard looked at her and then the door. He couldn't leave to go help.

"That would be my dad." She said dangerously. She wanted to yell to, to let him know that she was there. _"He's probably freaking out right now." _A female voice interrupted Haymitch's yelling and Katniss waited in silence. A few minutes later, Haymitch and an elderly woman with straight, gray hair, opened the door. Haymitch was dressed in the clothes he had worn when they had stopped and he had hers in his hands. The woman, who she guessed was Alma Coin gestured for the guard to leave and then stepped in, closing the door behind her. "Where's Gale?" Katniss asked, not hiding the worry in her voice. She wasn't sure if he had been knocked unconscious like she had been. He had been carrying the buck. Haymitch turned to Coin.

"He has been detained." She answered. "He attempted to kill our soldiers."

"He was trying to protect me!" Katniss screamed, throwing on her shirt, having been getting dressed while they were talking.

"Princess,"

"He was doing what any future husband-boyfriend-fiancée-brother would do!"

"He was born in the Capitol."

"That's doesn't matter! Take me to him." Katniss demanded, pulling on her boots. Coin looked at Haymitch. He had a hard look in his eyes that told her not to argue with them and to take them to the young man. She nodded and knocked for the door to open. It did and they all exited the room and walked down the hall to an elevator and she punched in a number. Katniss grabbed onto Haymitch's arm as her stomach lifted to her chest before settling as they stopped. They exited the elevator into a dark hallway. Coin walked down the hall, lights flickering on as she did. Katniss and Haymitch followed right behind her. Coin stayed ahead of them until Katniss saw a light on in the distance with a single guard beneath it. She ran forward, knowing that Gale was behind that door. Haymitch didn't grab her. Coin tried to but missed. The guard pointed the gun at her.

"Stand down!" Coin called from where she and Haymitch were. "Open the door and let her in." The guard did as he was told and Katniss rushed into the room. She found Gale chained in a corner. He was bruised and had several small cuts. Katniss knelt next to him to make sure he was breathing. He opened his eyes when she touched his forehead.

"Some welcome." He mumbled. "Where did they have you?"

"They had me and Dad in some sort of hospital room. I was chained to a bed. Dad screamed his head off to get out and then he got me out. We're getting you out now." Katniss turned to Coin. "Unchain him." She demanded.

"Princess, he is from the Capitol. Your enemy."

"He is no enemy of mine. But I will be yours if you do not release him right now!" Coin jumped a little. Haymitch took the key from the guard and walked into the cell.

"President," the guard mumbled.

"Later," Coin answered and watched them. Katniss and Haymitch helped Gale to stand and then looked at Coin. Haymitch stepped forward.

"President Alma Coin, may I present to you, Queen Katniss Everdeen of Panem and her fiancée, Gale Hawthorne."

"Fiancée?" Coin questioned, the shock evident on her face. Katniss glared.

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><p><strong>I hope you found that as enjoyable as i did. Thanks for reading and please review<strong>


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